The Government is today (Wednesday 16 February) asking for health
and security experts to inform the refresh of the UK’s Biological
Security Strategy, which aims to protect the country from a range
of biological threats, including emerging infectious diseases and
potential misuse by hostile actors.
The updated Strategy will incorporate learnings from the recent
response to COVID-19, consider evolving priorities since the
pandemic, and reflect the rapid advances in science and
technology across all aspects of biological security.
The Call for Evidence, published on gov.uk, will seek feedback on
specific biological security risks from experts including those
with a background in biological engineering, biological security,
contingency planning and other related technical fields.
The key areas that will be considered in the refresh include:
- A major health crisis, such as pandemic influenza,
non-influenza infectious outbreaks or new infectious disease
- Antimicrobial resistance
- A deliberate biological attack by state or non-state actors
- Animal and plant diseases, which themselves can pose risks to
human health
- Accidental release, such as when smallpox and Foot and Mouth
escaped from insecure labs, and dual-use research of concern,
where life science research is misapplied to do harm
The Integrated
Review published last year set out the vision for the
UK’s role in the world over the next decade and highlighted the
need to review and reinforce the cross-government approach to
biological security, including a refresh of the 2018 Strategy. This
Strategy brought together for the first time the work that takes
place across Government to protect the UK from significant
biological risks, no matter how these occur and no matter who or
what they affect.
Whilst the UK has developed world-leading biological defences,
such as public health testing facilities and genomic sequencing
capability, the Integrated Review recognises that we must embrace
innovation to bring to bear new biological security capabilities,
exploit the opportunities that arise as a result, and build back
better, at home and overseas, from COVID-19.
The updated Strategy will be published later this year.
QC, Minister for the Cabinet
Office and Paymaster General, said:
Ensuring that we are responding to the changing global security
landscape and taking reasonable steps to ensure public safety is
of critical importance. COVID-19 shone a light on the
significance of biological security and ensuring we have robust
plans in place to protect the public from threats here in the UK
and overseas.
That’s why, following the Integrated Review, the Government will
be looking into how we are protecting the country and its
interests from significant biological risks. This will include
considering the evolving priorities since the pandemic and rapid
advances in science and technology across all aspects of
biological security.
Tackling future challenges effectively requires evidence-based
policy and decision-making and a collaborative science base. I
urge experts to inform our discussions and provide further
insight and best practice to ensure the best minds and talent
across the UK are feeding into our Strategy.
ENDSNotes to editors:
- The Call for Evidence is open for six weeks from Wednesday 16
February to Tuesday 29 March. Please visit gov.uk for more
information on how to submit your views.
- The refreshed Biological Security Strategy will not affect
the COVID-19 public inquiry. Once the terms of reference for the
public inquiry have been published in draft, , the Chair of the
COVID-19 inquiry, will take forward a process of public
engagement and consultation.
